The Legend of Dhalashar
by Lady of the Thread
Summary: Magical AU. There are stories told by travelers of a legendary oasis along the Silk Road. A magnificent palace in the desert. A tiny kingdom ruled by a reincarnated king and his holy beasts. An elusive paradise that only appears to those in great need...


**Summary**: Ryuuki is the reincarnated king of the mysterious desert kingdom of Dhalashar with many supernatural powers… but no control over them! It's up to the reluctant king's guardian beasts to find the missing shaman who can bring his powers under control before a disaster befalls the kingdom.

**Characters:** Ryuuki, Shou, Kochou, Ensei, Shuuei, Kouyuu, Seiran, Shuurei, Shusui, Ryuuren

**Notes:** This was written for Althea SaDiablo for the 2010 Secret Santa exchange at the saiunkoku_fic LJ community. She requested an AU so this is a crossover using the world from the manga Genju no Seiza (an obscure series done by the same author as Petshop of Horrors). Only about half of the series has been translated so far and takes place mainly in modern Japan with very little actually seen of Dhalashar so I've taken a lot of liberties with Genju no Seiza canon, both to fill in details and to make it better fit the Saiunkoku characters.

**Warnings:** extremely AU for both series with Saiunkoku characters having magical powers and transforming into animals, one very brief gory scene

...

There are stories told by travelers of a legendary oasis along the Silk Road. A magnificent palace in the middle of the desert. A tiny kingdom ruled by a reincarnated king with the help of his holy beasts. An elusive paradise that only appears to those in great need... "For those who see the brink of death, shall also see Dhalashar and its true path shall open to them."

...

The sun shone brightly over the mountains but Ryuuki shivered as he lay on the rocky ground, watching vultures soar across the heavens above. He couldn't recall how he came to be on this remote cliff but, bedecked with ornate gold jewelry and wrapped in white cotton drapery, he felt like some hapless sacrifice.

Ryuuki's uneasiness grew as the birds gathered overhead and feelings of dread filled him as the creatures swooped down towards him. His mind screamed at him to flee but his body was paralyzed and refused to move. He couldn't even close his eyes; all he could do was lie there and watch in terror as the vultures drew nearer and nearer.

With a cry, the first hungry bird reached him and was swiftly followed by others. Talons tore at his bare arms, beaks pecked ravenously at his throat, and the pristine white fabric was splattered with blood as the birds devoured their gruesome feast.

Ryuuki woke up screaming and the ground began to shake.

...

The next morning, an usual group gathered by the reflecting pool in one of the palace courtyards. The leader appeared to be an old man dressed in silk robes and carrying a feather fan. A long gray beard and moustache hid the lower portion of his wrinkled face while more hair of the same shade flowed from underneath a helmet adorned with a jeweled crest and a pair of ram's horns. His eyes had elongated oval pupils like those of a sheep and he looked around with a hint of impatience. "Where are the others?"

"Shou, you know very well that crazy Ryuuren never lingers in Dhalashar. We're lucky he even showed up last night and he's likely exploring some remote mountaintop by now." Kochou checked her reflection in the water and noted with satisfaction that her appearance was perfect. She wore a large amount of jewelry and very little else. Pearls were entwined in her upswept hair, filigree hoops hung from her ears, a jeweled choker encircled her neck, a wide collar with dangling beads rested on her shoulders, and numerous bracelets decorated her arms. An intricate golden brassiere somewhat concealed her ample bosom and below her bare midriff, a sarong of sheer material and more strands of pearls obscured her long white snake's tail.

"And Shuuei must be still looking for Kouyuu," added a scruffy bearded man with a cross-shaped scar on his cheek. His dark hair was pulled back into a messy tail, revealing pointed ears. A wolf's tooth pendant hung from a leather cord around his neck and he wore various pieces of leather armor, a vest fashioned from a gray fur pelt, and knee high boots. "Who knows how far our king teleported him this time?" Ensei laughed, showing fanged teeth, and leaned on the staff he held in his clawed hand.

A large serpentine shadow fell over the courtyard and the trio looked up to see a dragon descending from the sky. The creature transformed in mid-air, turning into a man clad in blue robes faintly embroidered with dragon scales. Pointy ears peeked out between strands of long black hair and his nails were sharp like talons. He slowly floated down to the ground as the brightly colored phoenix that had been following him landed by the water. The bird also shifted to human form, becoming a man with unruly aqua hair. He was dressed in simple maroon robes and retained his colorful wings albeit in drastically more subdued shades than his animal form.

"You wouldn't believe where I found our lost bird." The dragon grinned and there was an amused gleam in his snake-like violet eyes. "Outside a brothel in the next kingdom! It was a slow night and the ladies were trying to make the pretty bird their pet."

Kouyuu clenched his fists and yelled hotly at the dragon. "Shuuei! Don't talk about such unnecessary things! It's completely the stupid king's fault!" His wings flapped in agitation and if he were still in his bird form, his feathers would have bristled even more. "If that idiot stopped running away from his lessons and learned how to properly control his powers, I'd never get lost and most certainly not in depraved places like that!"

Kochou chuckled. "Is it really such a bad place to get lost?"

"Yes!" Kouyuu shuddered at the memory of those frivolous girls trying to capture him; he almost lost a couple of his tail feathers! He pointed indignantly at the snake woman. "And you! Put on some clothes! You're as bad as those women!"

Shuuei didn't mind Kochou's choice of attire at all and reminded his friend, "Kouyuu, snakes don't usually wear clothes."

Not content to let the dragon have all the fun teasing the scholarly phoenix, Kochou winked mischievously and added, "And neither do birds…."

Shou cleared his throat, cutting off what was sure to be another loud rant from a red-faced Kouyuu. "Now that you have returned, we have much more important matters to discuss. We must do something about the Holy King." The ram was the oldest and most knowledgeable of the guardian beasts regarding Dhalashar and its reincarnated ruler. He waited for the others' attention before continuing.

"As we saw last night, His Holiness's powers are getting stronger. If controlled properly, he would be able to use those powers for beneficial purposes such as healing and helping spirits move on to the next life. But as he is now, his fears are causing them to act in unpredictable and sometimes destructive ways. We cannot allow this to continue." He waved his feather fan over the reflecting pool, conjuring an image of the palace in the water. "My visions of the future are disturbing." Cracks appeared as the ground shook violently and the huge onion dome collapsed. The walls tumbled down and soon, there was nothing left but a pile of rubble.

"Damn." Ensei reached out and touched one of the very sturdy stone pillars surrounding the courtyard. "You mean those little tremors that the king's been causing lately will get bad enough to knock down this place? But we can still change that, right?"

Shou inclined his head. "Yes, what will be is constantly changing. Therefore, it is imperative that we bring His Holiness's powers under control."

Kouyuu crossed his arms. "And how are we to do that when that stupid king keeps running away from his responsibilities?" The phoenix was assigned as Ryuuki's tutor but spent little time teaching, considering how often his pupil hid.

"We must find the Holy King's Shaman."

Shuuei thought back to previous years. "The one we searched for before but were never able to find?"

"Yes. Like the king, the shaman reincarnates again and again. His powers are greater than all of the guardian beasts combined and balance the king's powers; if one were to die, the other's powers would spin out of control." Shou frowned slightly. "However, just the lack of the shaman's presence seems to be affecting His Holiness. We must locate the shaman as quickly as possible to ensure a disaster like that of the previous generation does not occur again."

"Disaster? What happened back then?" Other than Shou, Kochou was the oldest but even she didn't know what the ram referred to.

Shou looked at the four younger holy beasts with a grim expression. "Although you have retained your powers, it seems the memories of your past lives have been forgotten. The reason that we are still missing guardian beasts… The reason that all of you are so young… Is that your previous incarnations all perished forty years ago, trying to contain the last king's powers after the shaman's death."

...

Clad in armor and with a sword at his side, Seiran rode across the desert on a chestnut horse. Shuurei clung to the animal's neck in front of him, wrapped in a cloak to help protect her simple cotton robes from the dust of the road. The guard and young merchant's assistant were on their way to the next oasis town where they were to meet their employer Rin Sai, a traveling merchant who traded in silk, and rejoin her caravan.

Seiran tensed at the sight of thick dust clouds swirling to the north, growing larger and moving in their direction. Sandstorms always made him uneasy because he had lost his youngest brother Ryuuki in one. They were separated in the opaque clouds of dust and he was captured by a gang of bandits that roamed the desert. After that nightmare had ended, he was taken in by Shuurei's family. He never saw Ryuuki again and didn't know whether he still lived or had fallen prey to the dangers of the desert in the storm's aftermath.

Shuurei tightened her grip on the horse's mane as her traveling companion kicked the animal, urging it into a gallop. "Is something wrong, Seiran?" Then, she turned and gasped as she saw the dust clouds.

He answered with a reassuring tone, not wanting to scare her. "Just a sandstorm, my lady. We'll try to outrun it."

The distance between the travelers and the sandstorm had increased considerably when lightning suddenly flashed across the sky. Shuurei let out a shriek at the accompanying clap of thunder and buried her face in the horse's neck. Spooked by a combination of the lightning, thunder, and the frightened girl on his back, the animal came to a stop and reared up.

Seiran thought the sudden bolt of thunder unusual for the desert but had no time to dwell on the thought as he yanked on the reins and attempted to stop the horse's wild bucking. Although he tried his best to keep his seat, his feet slipped from the stirrups and he went flying through the air. He landed roughly on his side with the sickening realization that Shuurei was quickly losing her grip on the out of control horse and was horrified to see her thrown into a sandbank.

He rushed to her side as the horse took off across the desert sands. "My lady! Are you hurt?" The only response he received was a small groan before she went limp; she had fainted. He quickly checked her for injuries and was relieved to find she didn't have any broken bones. However, he received no response when he tried to rouse the girl.

As the sandstorm dissipated in the distance, Seiran assessed the situation. He hadn't broken anything but there was definitely pain in his left arm. There was no hope of catching up with the horse and they were hours from the nearest town by foot but it was certain that they couldn't stay where they were. Their water supplies were gone since the canteens had been packed in the runaway horse's saddlebags. And with Shuurei unconscious and the danger of bandits, Seiran couldn't afford to wait in hopes that help would come. He wouldn't lose another person dear to him to this desert. Ignoring the pain, he gathered Shuurei in his arms and started walking.

Hours passed with nothing but sand. It was shortly before sunset when Seiran saw a palace surrounded by high stone walls and topped by onion domes in the distance. He had a strange feeling he should know this place yet he knew he had never been there before. He wondered if the hours in the sun had taken their toll and it was just a hallucination. Still, he needed to find help for Shuurei and continued walking towards it. His last thought before collapsing against the enormous metal doors decorated with gilded scrollwork was that the palace was real after all.

...

Ryuuki sat on the elaborately carved throne in the constellation room, dressed in his Holy King attire. A collar of heavy gold scrollwork was draped across his shoulders and more golden jewelry adorned his wrists, upper arms, and ankles. A long piece of purple silk wrapped around his legs like a sarong before winding around his stomach; the end of the fabric was thrown over his left shoulder and trailed down in the back, leaving the rest of his torso bare. Jeweled hoops hung from his ears and a tiny vermillion dot was painted between his eyebrows. It would have been a much more impressive picture if the young ruler wasn't staring unhappily at the floor and sighing as Shou's footsteps faded away outside.

After his powers went out of control again the previous night, the eldest of the guardian beasts insisted that he spend today meditating in the constellation room to improve his focus. One of the most unusual areas in the Dhalashar palace, it was an immense circular room with a huge domed ceiling that was decorated with reliefs of strange animals and bands of odd symbols. There were also carvings of constellations and suns and moons and at the very top of the dome, stars magically glittered on the stone ceiling at all hours of the day. The stars provided the only illumination and the only piece of furniture in the room was the throne.

Ryuuki hated being in this windowless chamber; it was always dark and felt more like a tomb than anything else. It made him think of nighttime and the terrible dreams of being devoured by vultures that had haunted him since he was a child. Shou claimed it was simply a vision of his previous incarnation's funeral but Ryuuki didn't find that knowledge very comforting.

He wished that he was just an ordinary person; he had no desire to be the Holy King of Dhalashar or wield strange powers. It was a very lonely life and he never got to leave the palace. The only people he ever saw were the guardian beasts and the palace servants. The servants treated him with polite formality, bowing a lot as they quietly served his meals and helped him dress. And although the guardian beasts addressed him by his royal title when they spoke to him, he felt like they actually viewed him as a bothersome child that they had to watch and keep out of trouble. There was no one in the palace that he could genuinely talk to or call a friend. Even after being separated for so many years, he harbored a childish hope that his elder brother Seien would find him and rescue him from this life.

Deciding he had waited long enough since Shou's departure, Ryuuki crossed the stone floor on his bare feet. He slowly inched open one of the room's double doors, which were twice his height and echoed the ceiling's carvings, and glanced furtively up and down the hallway. The tinkling of the coins dangling from his bracelets and anklets seemed extra loud as he dashed down the deserted corridor and Ryuuki hoped that none of the guardian beasts were within earshot to drag him back to the constellation room. Especially Kouyuu who often scolded him about not taking lessons seriously. Plus, he was always a bit scared of birds because of the nightmares and the phoenix had the ability to summon entire flocks of them.

He paused in a courtyard, trying to decide where to go. At the sound of approaching voices, he ducked behind a fountain to avoid being seen by a couple of servants in dark saris and veils. The women were discussing a pair of travellers who had collapsed outside the palace gates the evening before. Intrigued by this bit of news and hoping for company, Ryuuki waited for them to leave and then went in search of the visitors. It was customary for ailing travellers to be taken in at the palace but it was a relatively rare occurrence since few found their way to Dhalashar; it had been several months since the last time.

The young king made his way to the section of the palace where guests were usually housed, ducking behind pillars or statues when necessary to avoid being seen by servants. He snuck into the garden that bordered the guest rooms and peered through a window but found it led to an unused room. A second room was also empty but in the third, he could make out a sleeping form in the bed. Curious, he climbed through the window and crept across the richly furnished room.

Something stirred in his heart and he felt immediately attracted when he saw her, as if they were meant to be together. She appeared to be a couple of years younger than himself and her cheeks were flushed a rosy red from fever. With her petite frame and long dark hair, she wasn't an incredible beauty but she did look very cute. Ryuuki felt compelled to reach out and brush the bangs away from her face. A strange tingle ran through his fingers as they came in contact with her skin and he realized that her coloring was fading to a more natural pink. Feeling her forehead again, he found it was no longer hot. Ryuuki stared at his hand in amazement and wondered if he had just cured her fever. Shou had told him that the Holy King's powers included healing but he had no idea how to do such a thing consciously.

Hearing footsteps outside the door, Ryuuki panicked at the thought of being discovered and forced to return to that dark room. Before he knew what was happening, he disappeared from the sleeping girl's room and reappeared in the courtyard where he'd been earlier, landing on the ground in an undignified sprawl.

Unfortunately for him, Shou was there now and raised a shaggy eyebrow at his sudden appearance. "Your Holiness! What are you doing here? You were supposed to be meditating."

"I, um, I thought it might be easier to meditate outside," Ryuuki stammered, realizing with surprise that he had just teleported himself. His purple drapery was slipping from his shoulder and threatening to unwind so he nervously tugged it back into place as he scrambled to his feet.

Shou narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing him. "The reason I brought you to the constellation room is so that you would not have any distractions. We are going back and you will properly practice your meditation this time." He paused, noticing Ryuuki's face was suddenly flushed. "Your Holiness, are you unwell? You look a bit feverish."

"Um, I…" Ryuuki put a hand to his head, which felt hot, and it then occurred to him he might have absorbed the girl's fever rather than actually curing it.

The guardian beast frowned and addressed him sternly. "Your Holiness, you must be more careful." Since he had promised to serve the first Holy King of Dhalashar hundreds of years ago, Shou had gotten used to the changes in personality and appearance that came with each new incarnation of his king's soul. However, he couldn't recall any who had tried his patience as much as this current vessel. "You will rest for the remainder of the day and then spend extra time meditating tomorrow."

And so, feeling much more like a sheep than a king, Ryuuki found himself being herded back towards his rooms by the old ram and put to bed by a servant.

...

"Anything new to report?" asked Shuuei. Three weeks had passed since the intensive search for the shaman had begun. Kochou and Ensei had been combing Dhalashar and the surrounding desert while Shuuei and Kouyuu searched more distant lands due to their ability to fly; Shou typically stayed at the palace to keep an eye on Ryuuki because of the young ruler's unstable powers. Now, the four younger guardian beasts met amid the animal statues in the palace's grand hallway to discuss the day's progress.

"No luck. Kochou and I have searched all the towns around here and by this point, I think we've talked to every canine and reptile in this desert, too." Ensei crossed his arms and leaned on one of the stone columns that supported the vaulted arches above. "It would be nice if we had more to go on. According to Shou, last generation's chaos messed up the wheel of trans-whatever—"

"Transmigration," corrected Kouyuu.

"—so we didn't reincarnate right away and we don't know when the shaman reincarnated either. This guy could be as old as forty or just a kid."

Shuuei nodded. "That's true but the shaman isn't an ordinary human. His powers should make him stand out so it's important that we pursue any rumors of people with strange powers."

"We have been doing that but it always turned out to be just superstition." Kochou put a finger to her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I think it's possible the shaman's powers haven't awakened yet. I always thought I was just a normal human before Shou found me and brought me here about a dozen years ago." She gestured to her fangs and snake tail. "I certainly never suspected I was this."

"Yeah, I thought I was normal, too. You guys didn't realize it either, did you?" Ensei glanced at the two remaining guardian beasts and both shook their heads.

"No. But I think Ryuuren might have known. He used to claim that he could fly and say other strange things when he was little. My brothers and I all thought it was just part of his weird behavior."

Kouyuu turned to Shuuei with a pained expression. "I hate to suggest this but… Could we find your crazy brother and get him to help?" The phoenix wasn't very fond of Shuuei's mind reading relative, especially after nearly being hit with one of his lightning bolts the first time they met; Ryuuren claimed he was making music but Kouyuu had a rather different opinion. It also didn't help that the younger Ran pried into his thoughts on the matter and declared him tasteless. "He helped find the king and he's supposed to be the fastest of the guardian beasts. We should at least be able to cover more ground if he joined the search."

The dragon sighed. "Ryuuren has never been one to listen and he comes and goes according to his own whims. It would probably take us as long to locate him as the shaman himself."

Ensei tried to lighten the glum mood that was developing. "Hey, maybe we'll have better luck tomorrow. Or the shaman might even find this place on his own!" The wolf grinned and pointed to himself as he boastfully added, "Just like I did!"

Kochou laughed. "The way I remember it, that only happened because you collapsed outside the palace gates from hunger!"

"But what counts is that I found this place!" What Ensei and the rest of the group didn't suspect was that the shaman had already arrived in Dhalashar with some questionable help from a certain capricious guardian beast.

...

Shuurei woke up in a strange room and looked around, wondering where she was and what had happened to Seiran. The furnishings were far richer and more exotic than any of the inns they could afford while traveling with Rin Sai on trading expeditions. A beautifully woven rug covered the floor and elaborate carvings decorated the furniture. Through the window, she could glimpse a garden and judging by the sunlight, it appeared to be mid-morning. Looking down, she found she was wearing a plain sleeping robe rather than her traveling clothes. She heard the sound of a door opening and turned to see a woman enter.

The newcomer carried a tray with some food and a pitcher of water. She was dressed in a sari of green and pale yellow with the loose end of the fabric draped over her brown hair like a veil. "Oh, you're finally awake!" The stranger smiled. "Are you feeling better? You had a bad fever and slept all of yesterday and the night before that." She placed the tray on a table and approached the bed. "My name is Shusui."

"Yes. Thank you for looking after me. I'm Shuurei." She smiled but fretted inwardly. If she had slept for that long, it meant she had missed the scheduled meeting with her employer two days ago. And that meant there would be less money to send home to father this month! She was more concerned about something else at the moment though. "Could you tell me what happened to Seiran? And where are we? The last thing I remember is our horse throwing us while we were in the desert."

"The young man with the silver hair? We found both of you collapsed outside the gates but he seems to have recovered quickly. He looked in on you a few times yesterday and earlier this morning but you were always asleep. I'm sure he'll be eager to see you now that you're awake." Shusui poured a cup of water and offered it to Shuurei. "This is the palace of Dhalashar."

Shuurei was reassured by the news of Seiran but blinked in surprise at the woman's final statement. "Dhalashar? I've heard the stories but I always thought it was only a legend!" The tales were common among the merchants whose caravans travelled through the desert. Occasionally, one would claim that they found the oasis known as Dhalashar. But when any of them tried to return, there would be only sand. It was as if the tiny kingdom had vanished.

"Oh, Dhalashar is more than just a legend. But it is a secretive place that few can find." Shusui smiled and told Shuurei a little bit about the kingdom as the latter ate. She left the girl to wash and soon returned with a bundle of pink fabric which turned out to be an outfit similar to her own but more lavish and embellished with embroidery. "I'm afraid your own clothes are still in need of cleaning," she explained apologetically.

Shuurei's borrowed robe was exchanged for a skirt and a short blouse. She watched in interest as Shusui unfolded a long piece of embroidered pink cloth. "How lovely. Did you do the embroidery?"

Shusui got a somewhat pained expression on her face. "Oh, no. I'm not very good at needlework. But the kingdom has artisans who are quite skilled at it."

The merchant's assistant fingered the exotic material, wondering how much it would fetch and whether there would be demand for it back home. Her mind pondered the possibilities as Shusui carefully pleated, wrapped, and draped the fabric around her.

...

Meanwhile, Seiran was exploring the palace. After resting most of the previous day, the pain in his arm had largely subsided but was inexplicably replaced by a headache. He now stood in a hallway lined with strange statues; the closest one depicted a man with a dog's head and the next one was a large bird with a hat. More equally bizarre statues continued down the hall and although they were unlike anything he had seen before, he still couldn't shake the feeling that this place was somehow familiar to him. The feeling got stronger as he climbed a set of steps to a large pair of doors marked with concentric circles containing carvings of strange symbols and animals. He stared at the carvings for a couple of minutes before placing a hand on one of the doors, about to push it open, when a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder and pulled him away.

"Hey, you can't go in there!"

Seiran turned to see a scruffy bearded man holding a staff. His eyes widened at the sight of the distinctive scar on the man's cheek, one that he hadn't seen for over a decade. "Ensei?"

The scruffy man blinked. "Little Whirlwind? What are you doing here?"

Not wanting to be reminded of the days in the bandit gang, Seiran threatened, "Don't call me that or I'll cut your head off." As they moved away from the doors, he noticed there was also a third person present, a beautiful woman.

"You know him, Ensei? He's quite handsome." After spotting the silver haired stranger, Kochou had transformed herself so that she appeared to be a normal woman; she now wore a brocade dress with side slits that showed off a pair of shapely legs rather than her usual snake tail. Although she regularly used her half snake form around the palace, this form was more helpful for dealing with ordinary humans without scaring them. The other guardian beasts also had such forms that they used when they needed to go undetected among humans.

"Sure, Kochou." Ensei cheerfully slapped the other man on the back. "Little Whirlwind is an old friend of mine. Oof!" He rubbed his side after getting an elbow in the ribs from his "old friend."

Seiran glanced sideways at Ensei, sensing that something had changed about the man since he last saw him. There was something not quite right about the woman, too. He winced as a sudden pain shot through his head and then he saw it. "A wolf and a snake…" He took several steps back, his hand going to the sword at his side.

Ensei gaped. "How did you…?" The wolf wondered if he should use his powers and erase this meeting from the other man's memory.

Kochou blinked. A normal human shouldn't be able to sense her animal form when she was using her human disguise. "Wait a minute. You're…" She reverted back to her half snake form as Seiran drew his sword.

"Hey, calm down." Ensei realized what the snake woman was thinking and knocked Seiran's weapon out of reach with a blow from his staff. He quickly grabbed the other man, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Let go of me, you dirty dog!" Seiran struggled against Ensei's grip, at a disadvantage since his arm hadn't completely recovered yet.

"I'm not a dog! I'm a wolf!"

Kochou slithered over. "I'm afraid we can't let you leave." She placed her hands firmly on Seiran's face, forcing him to look into her eyes. The markings on her forehead resembling a third eye glowed as she used her special power—the ability to enslave men with her gaze—and Ensei squeezed his eyes shut to avoid being caught in her spell, too. The snake woman smiled in satisfaction as Seiran fell to his knees before her and reached down to pet his silvery hair. "Now be a good little cat and come with us." At those words, there was a poof of smoke and Seiran turned into a white cat with black stripes reminiscent of a tiger. Kochou picked him up and stroked his fur.

"Hey, Little Whirlwind actually looks kind of cute like this." Ensei grinned and patted the cat on the head. "Ow!" The wolf yanked his hand back in surprise. "He bit me!"

"Be nice." Kochou leaned down and whispered seductively in the cat's ear, "Behave and I promise I'll play with you later." The cat squirmed as she resumed a normal tone. "But for now, we should take you to Shou and let him know we found you." She gasped as Seiran struggled some more and jumped out of her arms, taking off down the hall. "After him!" She and Ensei took off in pursuit of the striped cat.

...

Shou stroked his beard as he studied the visions of what was to come in the reflecting pool. "So, the shaman has come to us. But that is not enough. Perhaps, it is time to put this piece into place." He pulled an ornate gold bangle out of his robes and held it up to the sun; it was similar to the ones that adorned Ryuuki's wrists and had been worn by the previous king until his death. "If this triggers the desired effect, we might finally have a worthy vessel for the Holy King's soul." He tucked the bracelet back into his robes and went in search of Ryuuki.

...

After Shusui left, Shuurei knocked on the door next to hers. "Seiran, may I come in?" Not receiving any reply, she slowly opened the door and looked in. "Seiran?" The room was decorated in a manner similar to hers and the rumpled bedding indicated that someone had been there recently although it was now empty. "I guess Seiran might be looking around the palace. I'll come back later then." She closed the door and made her way outside.

She found herself in the garden she had glimpsed from her window earlier. Fresh water spouted from a fountain in the center and she marveled at how there were flowers even though the palace was in the middle of the desert. Lotus flowers bloomed in large stone urns and there were exotic plants that she'd never seen before all around. She reached out to touch a blossom and was startled to suddenly hear an unfamiliar male voice behind her.

"The flowers are lovely, aren't they?"

Shuurei turned and found a handsome man with long ash blond hair. "Um, yes, they are." She blushed and felt embarrassed for staring since the stranger's purple draperies revealed more skin than she was used to seeing on a man—but all that jewelry! The beads of her mental abacus were flying furiously, estimating the weight of the gold, the value of the stones, and the premium for the fine workmanship. Just one of those bracelets alone would be worth five hundred sacks of rice!

Then, it occurred to her that since he was wearing so much jewelry, he had to be someone of high rank. Shusui had explained that succession in Dhalashar was by reincarnation so there wouldn't be any princes. And she had described the king as being a young blond man… This had to be the king! She quickly composed herself and bowed. "I am honored to meet you, Your Holiness. My name is Shuurei Kou."

The man frowned a little. "Please call me Ryuuki."

"Oh, I couldn't, Your Holiness. It would be much too familiar."

The king reached out and clasped her hands. "No. I insist. No one ever uses my real name. It would make me happy. Please."

Shuurei hesitated. It was much too informal considering they had just met and he was a king. But she supposed she should respect the ruler's wishes since she was currently a guest in his palace. And he did sound rather lonely. "Ryuuki…"

He beamed and led her from the garden. "Let me show you around the palace, Shuurei."

...

Seiran ran through the palace hallways, still shocked that the snake woman had turned him into a cat. He had adapted almost instantly to moving in this new form once he shook off the muddled feeling from her spell. But he needed to return to normal and get Shuurei away from this place. After his encounter with the snake woman and Ensei, he wasn't sure if anyone around the palace could be trusted.

Seiran turned a corner and was surprised to see Shuurei, now dressed in a pink sari, walking with a man he hadn't seen before. He could do little to protect her in this form but he still had to do something in case the stranger harbored ill intentions. He ran to her, trying to call out a warning but embarrassingly all that came out was a distressed "meow."

"Oh, what a cute cat." Shuurei bent to pick him up and pet him. "Does he belong to you, Your Holiness?"

"Ryuuki, please," he reminded her. "And no, I've never seen a cat around the palace before." Ryuuki took the cat and examined him. "Somehow, he reminds me of someone. These green eyes… My brother Seien, who I haven't seen for many years, had eyes this exact shade."

Seiran froze at the man's words, staring back at his golden eyes in disbelief. Ryuuki? His little brother was the ruler of this desert kingdom? He never imagined he'd be reunited with Ryuuki under such bizarre circumstances.

"Hmm… That's a coincidence. I was going to say he reminded me of Seiran. He also has green eyes." Shuurei was so preoccupied with the cat that she didn't notice a third person had arrived until he spoke.

"Your Holiness, may I have a word with you? It is very important."

Seiran saw Ryuuki flinch as the new voice interrupted. He craned his neck to try to see the newcomer and found it was old man wearing a helmet with a pair of ram's horns.

Ryuuki sighed and handed the cat back to Shuurei. "I'm sorry, Shuurei. Maybe, I can show you the rest of the palace later."

"Please excuse us, young lady."

"Of course." Shuurei looked after the man with the strange helmet and Ryuuki as they disappeared through an archway.

Seiran watched uneasily as Ryuuki left. His brother seemed to know the old man but he had a feeling of foreboding since it was another of those animal people. He squirmed in Shuurei's arms and meowed, trying to get her attention.

"What's wrong, Seiran?" She looked down at the cat and blinked. "Odd. Why did I just call you Seiran?"

Hoping Shuurei sensed his feelings somehow, Seiran jumped out of her arms and ran down the corridor that Ryuuki and Shou had taken.

"Seiran! Come back!" Shuurei wasn't completely sure why but she ran after the animal.

...

Ryuuki unhappily followed Shou, sure that he was in for another lengthy lecture since he had abandoned his meditation and snuck out of the constellation room again to see Shuurei. They were in a deserted hallway near his rooms when the guardian beast finally stopped and spoke.

"Your Holiness, are you in love with that girl?"

"Um, I, uh…" Ryuuki stammered at this unexpected question. A blush crept across his cheeks and he answered evasively with a question of his own; he suspected if he admitted his feelings, it would be yet another thing for the guardian beast to scold him about. "Why would you think that?"

Shou laughed. "I have served many Holy Kings and you are certainly not the first to show affections for a woman. Also, you forget my foretelling abilities. You will lose this girl if you do not act. She is just a lost traveler and will certainly leave unless you get her to return your feelings."

Ryuuki looked dismayed. In the back of his mind, he realized Shuurei was unlikely to remain in Dhalashar but to hear the ram say it, it seemed much more real.

"May I offer a suggestion, Your Holiness?" Shou produced a gold bangle from his robes. "Wear this bracelet. It has been charmed to bring its wearer luck in love."

Ryuuki should have been suspicious about why Shou was suddenly being so helpful but instead, his eyes lit up. "Really?" The young king eagerly took the bangle and as soon as his hands came into contact with the shiny metal, he felt as if his soul were being wrenched from his body. He sank to the floor, still clutching the bracelet.

Shou looked down at the unmoving body. "So gullible. Maybe, this will finally teach that vessel a lesson." He turned and walked away, leaving Ryuuki on the floor. "A cup of tea would be nice while I wait."

...

"Lost again, Kouyuu?" Shuuei had gone in search of the phoenix when he failed to meet him at the usual time to resume the search for the shaman.

Kouyuu bristled at the suggestion. "I was not lost! It's not my fault if the king keeps rearranging the palace!"

The two turned down a hall and were surprised to find Ryuuki sprawled on the stone floor. They hurried to his side.

"Your Holiness! Are you okay?" Shuuei knelt and gently shook him but received no response.

Kouyuu groaned. "Did that idiot accidentally leave his body again?" The one time Ryuuki had astral projected, it had taken the guardian beasts nearly two hours to get him back into his body.

At that point, Ensei and Kochou arrived, still searching for Seiran after they lost the cat's trail. "Shuuei! Kouyuu! What happened?"

Before they could respond, Seiran ran in from the opposite direction, followed by Shuurei. Seeing Ryuuki lying unconscious on the floor, surrounded by Ensei, Kochou, and two others he hadn't seen before, he hissed angrily at them.

Shuurei was bewildered by the scene in front of her. She was concerned that Ryuuki was unconscious but didn't know what to make of the strange group around him—a woman with a snake's tail, a man with rainbow wings, and a couple of other men who also struck her as not being completely human although they appeared so at first glance. She took a couple of steps back, not sure if she should run.

Seeing the cat, Kouyuu realized it was another guardian beast. "The tiger? Where did he come from?"

Kochou crossed her arms as the cat continued to hiss. "We found him outside the constellation room but he's been a bit hostile and doesn't seem to realize what he is."

Ensei picked up the cat by the scruff of his neck, dodging a swipe of claws as Seiran attempted to add to the scar on his face. "Hey, Little Whirlwind, if you want to talk, you can change back instead of hissing at us. You just need to concentrate on your human form."

Seiran did as instructed and changed back to normal in a poof of smoke. He shook off Ensei's hand and angrily demanded, "What is going on? And what have you done to my brother Ryuuki?"

Shuurei's eyes widened at the transformation. "Seiran? That cat was really you?"

"Yes, my lady." He stepped protectively in front of her, wishing he still had his sword. "Well?"

Kochou started explaining. "We are the Holy Beasts of Dhalashar. Like the Holy King, our souls reincarnate and it is our job to protect him. And although you don't seem to have realized it yet, you are also a guardian beast—the tiger."

Seiran clenched his fists. "Protect him? Then, why is he lying here unconscious?"

Kouyuu spoke up. "He was lying here when we found him. I can't sense his soul so his spirit might have wandered away." The phoenix frowned. "We've been trying to teach him how to better control his powers but he's not a diligent student and it has happened before."

"I suggest we move His Holiness someplace more comfortable. It took us quite a while to call him back last time." Shuuei picked up Ryuuki and rose, carrying him towards the king's rooms. The other guardian beasts followed him, including Seiran.

Shuurei silently trailed behind them all, trying to sort out all of these surprising revelations. Seiran was the king's brother? And he was a guardian animal like these other people? Ryuuki was unconscious because his soul had wandered? It was a lot for the girl who had no experience with mystical things to take in.

After Ryuuki was placed in bed, the guardian beasts all tried to call his spirit back without success.

Seiran took Ryuuki's hands, which were still clutched tightly around the bracelet. "Ryuuki, please wake up." He didn't want to consider the possibility that they would fail to bring him back.

Kochou was the first to notice when the ram came into the room. "Shou, the Holy King's soul seems to have left his body."

"I am already aware of that."

Seiran sprang from his place by the bed and grabbed Shou by the front of his robes. The old man had to be responsible for this since he had been the one to take Ryuuki away earlier. "You! What did you do to Ryuuki?"

The ram was unfazed as he replied. "I just lent him a piece of jewelry belonging to the last king. His Holiness is simply making a trip to the past. Nothing to be concerned about." He was released from Seiran's grip although the tiger still looked like he wanted to throttle the old man.

"Time travel? But how will he come back?" Ensei gestured to Ryuuki's unmoving form. "He doesn't respond when any of us call him."

"He will seek the shaman's help when it is time for him to return."

"But we still haven't found the shaman!" Shuuei looked at the unconscious king with concern.

Outside the room's windows, lightning flashed across the sky as a strange creature descended from above—a white horse with a single horn protruding from its forehead. The kirin transformed, taking on the appearance of a young man in rainbow-colored Chinese robes. His long hair was pulled into a pair of loose tails that draped over the front of his shoulders and threaded through large golden beads. He wore an elaborate headdress with long trailing feathers and his eyes were closed as usual due to his weak vision. He climbed through the window and walked towards the dragon.

"Ryuuren!"

The kirin slowly opened his purple eyes although they were unseeing. He addressed his sibling, not actually expecting an answer since he could read minds and already knew. "Foolish elder brother number four and foolish elder brother number four's friends, do you still not see? The thing you seek is right here." He approached Shuurei, who was still clinging to Seiran because of the thunder, and reached out to touch her face. "Yes, I'm sure. This is the Holy King's Shaman."

"But that's a girl," protested Kouyuu. "I thought the shaman was supposed to be male." He and the other guardian beasts turned to Shou.

"The shaman can reincarnate as a male or female," the ram explained. "The shaman who served the first Holy King was female and there were several female priestesses in the early days of Dhalashar. But it has been hundreds of years since there has been a female reincarnation. For over ten generations, the shaman has been reborn as a male."

Most of the other guardian beasts glared at him, wondering why the old goat never bothered to tell them this before they started their search.

Shuurei finally spoke, even more bewildered than earlier. "I'm supposed to be king's shaman? But what does that mean?" She looked to Shou for answers since he seemed to know more than the rest.

"You are to stay by the Holy King's side and serve him. Your powers balance each other and without you, His Holiness has had trouble controlling his powers."

Shuurei shook her head. "But I don't have any magic powers."

"You simply haven't realized it yet. You and the king are soulmates and no matter how many times you reincarnate or how far apart you are born, you will always find each other."

Shuurei blushed, a bit alarmed. "I'm not meant to be his wife, am I?"

"Not necessarily. The first Holy King did fall in love with his priestess but they've also reincarnated as brother and sister before."

Shuurei's face suddenly took on a startled look as she turned towards Ryuuki. "Just now, I could hear Ryuuki calling out to me in my head."

"Then, he is ready to come back. Call to him," Ryuuren instructed Shuurei, nudging her towards the bed. "Only your voice will make the king's spirit return."

Not really sure if it would work, Shuurei put her hand over the king's and quietly called. "Ryuuki, Ryuuki…"

A tear slid from Ryuuki's eyes as they slowly opened. "Shuurei…" He let go of the bracelet and threw his arms around the girl, clinging to her and continuing to cry. "Shuurei! I'm so sorry, Shuurei!"

Shuurei's face turned pink, embarrassed that the king was hugging her so tightly in front of all the guardian beasts. "Ryuuki, let go!" She tried to wiggle out of his grasp. "I don't understand what you're apologizing for. And you're going to ruin this expensive fabric!"

Kochou chuckled softly. "Your Holiness, you're not going to impress your new priestess by crying all over her."

Ryuuki reluctantly ended the embrace and wiped at his tears. "I saw what happened to the last king—to me in my previous life." He looked around at all the guardian beasts and Shuurei. "You were all there, too. Your appearances were different but I could recognize your souls." He wanted to look away but forced himself to meet everyone's eyes as he spoke. "I couldn't use my powers well and failed to heal the shaman—Shuurei's last incarnation—when he fell ill. The shaman died young and my powers became even more uncontrolled and destructive. Seien, Shuuei, Kouyuu, Kochou, Ensei—all of your past incarnations and the other guardian beasts died trying to protect the people of Dhalashar from my unstable powers. I'm sorry for being such a failure as the Holy King." He bowed his head and stared at his lap, ashamed.

"Do you see your errors now, Your Holiness? Will you finally correct them?" Shou challenged him. "Or will you allow the disaster of the past to repeat again and lose those important to you?"

"No!" Ryuuki looked up and shook his head vigorously. "I don't want to hurt Shuurei or Seien again!" He gave the ram a determined look. "I'll learn how to use my powers and become a Holy King that you approve of."

Shou smiled in satisfaction. It was exactly the answer he had hoped for. "Excellent. You will resume your lessons with Kouyuu tomorrow and spend at least three hours meditating each day in the constellation room."

...

That night, Shuurei was still trying to absorb everything that had happened. It seemed unbelievable that her life had changed so much in one day. She and Seiran had been assured that they would be provided for at the palace as long as they served the king but they couldn't just abruptly abandon everything from their old lives; she wanted to bring her father to Dhalashar and there were still many things to sort out in the morning.

She tried to fall asleep but it was difficult considering that Ryuuki was clinging to her with Seiran in his cat form tucked between them. The guardian beasts had told her that Ryuuki's powers tended to go out of control when he had nightmares and that it would be best if she stayed by his side. With pink cheeks, she sighed and mumbled to herself, "I thought I was supposed to be his priestess, not his wife." It was definitely going to take some getting used to.

...

Despite the occasional small earthquake or accidental teleportation, Ryuuki gradually mastered his powers, especially those of healing. His reign eventually became one of the most noted in the history of Dhalashar. And not content to only perform the typical duties of the Holy King's priestess, Shuurei promoted trade in textiles and handicrafts. People in foreign kingdoms couldn't resist the beautiful fabrics from a hidden kingdom, delivered by people who were rumored to actually be the king's animal guardians. The kingdom flourished and its subjects prospered but the secret of Dhalashar's location remained.

...

**Notes:** Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this story, reviews would be appreciated. This AU continues in the sequels Love Songs and Lullabies, The Purple Ribbon, and Magical Mishaps. And I've started on some fanart for this AU; check my profile for details.


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